Crackdown may loom on sea lions' 'buffet'

[babylonsister]

Crackdown may loom on sea lions' 'buffet'
By Les Blumenthal | McClatchy Newspapers

* Posted on Thu, August 2, 2007

WASHINGTON — Dozens of California sea lions who've turned part of the Columbia River into an all-you-can-eat salmon buffet appeared to win a reprieve Thursday from a congressional subcommittee chairman, but only a temporary one.

Federal, state and tribal fisheries managers argued at a hearing that the sea lions present a "significant" threat to the endangered salmon, so the predators will remain on death row, and they're likely to be killed next year.

The sea lions have been showing up in increasing numbers in the early spring, and they start dining on the salmon as they approach the Bonneville Dam's fish ladders on their journey upstream to spawn. About 100 sea lions have been spotted in recent years at the dam, which links Oregon and Washington state, and they've been observed eating more than 3,000 salmon and steelhead annually.

"California sea lions have turned the Columbia River into a salmon buffet," said Rep. Brian Baird, D-Wash., adding that one sea lion in particular, named C265, had gained nearly 500 pounds in two months eating salmon below the dam. "That is a lot of salmon."

Attempts to scare off the sea lions with rubber bullets, rubber arrows, underwater acoustic devices and noisemakers have failed.

"They are tough critters, and must be thinking, 'It may be a little unpleasant, but we get all the salmon we can eat,' " Baird told the House Natural Resources Committee's fisheries, wildlife and oceans subcommittee Thursday.

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http://www.mcclatchydc.com/227/story/18674.html

[Lasher]

1. Too many people

We've created the environment. Not good that sea lions should have the artificial fishbowl to potentially decimate endangered salmon runs. From what I've seen there are plenty of sea lions. Shoot the chronic offenders to achieve a balance.

[ORDagnabbit]

2. let me repeat TOO MANY DAMN PEOPLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!